Rōki Sasaki might be the best free agent still available for MLB. Here is everything to know about the Japanese superstar.

Editor's Note: The story below originally ran in November, after Roki Sasaki's NPB team pledged to post the Japanese star pitcher. Sasaki announced Friday he was signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Shortly before LeBron James posted his 121st career triple-double, he met with Los Angeles' newest star in Dodgers pitcher Rōki Sasaki, who announced last week that he would be signing with the reigning World Series champions.

Rōki Sasaki, the 23-year-old phenom from Japan whose services for the next six seasons could be procured by every Major League Baseball franchise for the equivalent of a rounding error, ended his six-week recruiting period by agreeing to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday,

The Rangers President of Baseball Operations said the organization put its ‘best foot forward’ in its pitch to the Japanese right-hander.

With just two days before the window to sign him opens, the field for star Japanese right-hander Rōki Sasaki has narrowed.

The Dodgers cemented their status as the preferred MLB destination for NPB stars and transformed their rotation into a Mount Rushmore of Japanese pitching luminaries by winning the Rōki Sasaki sweepstakes.

The greatest team in baseball is adding an extremely talented, cost-effective and potentially dominant piece to a star-studded pitching rotation. Rōki Sasaki, the 23-year-old phenom from Japan ...

Sasaki, nicknamed in Japan as "the Monster of the Reiwa Era," struck out 11 batters in 7 and ⅔ innings with a 3.52 ERA during the 2023 WBC. In Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he struck out 129 hitters in 111 regular-season innings for the Marines in the 2024 season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are signing Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki. Sasaki announced the decision on Instagram. JUST IN — Israeli government approves Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The agreement is to come into effect on Sunday. Follow DW for more.

The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are winding down, with finalists emerging and teams being informed that they're out of the running.